How do you bring brands and content creators together on one platform?

To go from a rough idea to a concrete digital product, we always have an extensive analysis phase. But when you start completely from scratch and step into an unknown world, that phase is even more intense.

We quickly understood the idea and came up with some ideas for the concept. Through several brainstorms, we mapped out what data was needed to determine a match between brands and content. During those meetings, it soon became clear that the multiple parties that can use the platform do so in a completely different way.

On the one hand, you have the brands and the content, who are trying to find each other through the platform. On the other hand, you have Famework, which wants to maintain control over the platform through a simple admin interface. Very different profiles, each with a unique user journey and corresponding top tasks.

By means of a thorough persona analysis, all the flows were mapped and, for each persona, a clear list of requirements emerged. This list forms the basis of the portal division that is integrated into the platform today: each profile has its own shielded portal, equipped with all specific functionalities.

In addition to three different portals, we also make a distinction between administrators and users within each portal. This makes it easy to divide the management of brands or content among different people. For example, brand A may be linked to user A, while brand B falls under user B. The administrator has access to brands A and B, but can leave the follow-up to the assigned brand representative.

Once we have a clear list of requirements, we work them out visually to test the logical UX flow and usability. All the analysis input is translated into the prototype. This clickable version of the platform allows both us and Famework, up to this day, to thoroughly test and "use" all the features before the actual development starts.

Through the feedback from Famework itself and from the brands and content which were invited to test, the prototype was fine-tuned each time. This way, there were several versions which were further developed each time, until we were sure that the platform met all the requirements.

After brands and content have entered their data, it is up to the matching engine to get to work. This 'engine' uses the entered parameters to search for the perfect match between content and brand.

How exactly the matching works is a well-kept secret. The algorithm we developed has been extensively tested so that the resulting matches really do produce a successful combination.

We want to make the matching engine smarter. That is why we let it learn. Based on historical data and rejected matches, it can make even more accurate matches in the future.

Machine learning can also be used to make proposals to enrich the profiles, so that potential partners know even more about your brand or content. The matching engine will be able to better predict whether it is worthwhile to generate a match.

To keep things running smoothly, Famework has an extensive admin portal where they can manage the parameters of brands and content, among other things. Customer profiles, contact recordings and submitted requests are followed up in the HubSpot CRM, with which we have an API connection.

For example, we forward all submitted contact forms to the CRM, where they can immediately be linked to a profile, which is useful for further follow-up.

When a brand wants to unlock its matches, we exchange the necessary information with HubSpot in two directions. All the necessary customer data is then linked to this so that the invoice can be drawn up.